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Patented May 28, 1895.

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W. M. PHILLIPS TALLY CHECK.

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'VILLIAM M. PHILLIPS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD F. ELWELL, OF SAME PLACE.

TALLY-CH ECK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 540,109, dated May 28, 1895.. Application tiled October 17l 1894. Serial Nol 526,179. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. PHlLLiPs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee-in the county of Milwaukee and 5 State of Wisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tally-Checks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to tally checks, and

io consists in certain peculiarities of construction as will be fully set forth hereinafter and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a representation of one side of a tally-check embodying my present invention. Fig. 2isarepresentation of the reverse side of the same check.

While my invention is capable of use in a great variety of Ways, and in many different kinds of business I have herein shown only zo one specific use of my said tally check and will proceed to describe the saine, inasmuch as such illustration will explain the whole matter equally as well as would an infinite variety ot' illustrations.

z5 The two figures shown in the accompanying drawings illustrate my invention applied to a tally-check for use in the fuel account of a railway system, it being stated that all names employed in the drawings to designate the 3o railway, the stations and employs are purely fictitious.

I will first describe the obverse or face of the tally-check shown. At the left end is shown the stub A, which is preferably bound into a check-book with the other checks, the same being numbered consecutively, 0r in any mannerdesired. At the right end is shown the fuel accountants tally B, identical in all respects with the stub A, each bearing (in the 4o particular use to which my tally-check is herein shown applied) the number of the check, the number of the engine, a date line, a line for the number of buckets of coal called for, a line for writing in the station where the order is to be filled, and a line for the signature of the engineer, and preferably another line for the signature of any other person (such as the fireman or dispatcher) who might present the order, at the beginning l 5o of atrip, before the engine is turned over to the engineer who is to make the run. On the reverse of the tally-check is another tally, O, identicalin all respects with the stub A and tally B just described, and located at the left, next the stub A, from which it is partially separated by a row of indentations or perforations a. On the obverse of thecheck, next saidstubA are printed the title and address of the partieularsuperintendent or other official,

to whom the fuel accountant makes his re- 6o turns, ,this ofcial being designated in the illustration given in the space D, as Supt. Motive Power. On the extreme right or free end of the check, on the reverse side, correspondingto the tallyB on the obverse side, are printed the title and address of the official charged with keeping the record of the fuel consumed, this official being designated, in the illustration given in the space E, as Fuel Accountant These titles, of course, are ar- 7o bitrary, and differ with differentrailway systems, but those employed are sufficiently selfexplanatory for the purpose of this description. Between the spaces B and D on the obverse of the check are a series of coupon-like spaces, F F F, partially separated from each other by rows of indentations or perforations b b, which render the check easilyseparable at the line of any of the said rows Z9, but all these rows (like the described row a next the stub A) Se begin and terminate at a considerable distance from the upper and lower edges of the described check, leaving a substantial integral and non-perforated or non-indented continuous edge or outline around the entire check, whereby any accidental separation of the device is guarded against, and so that even if the check is folded along any of the lines b b, it will not separate, without intent and effort. These spaces F F are further printed 9o or marked, in the illustration given, with the words Bucket7 or Buckets and are numbered consecutively from the right to the left, but instead of each space F being numbered alike, on the two sides of the check, as is customary when detachable coupons are numbered on both sides in tickets and analogous articles, it will be seen that the coupon F marked l on the obverse side has no number on the reverse side, and that the coupon roo F marked 2 on the obverse side is marked l on the reverse side, and so on. In the illustration given, the face or obverse side of the check has ten of these bucket coupons, numbered consecutively, and the reverse is similarly marked and numbered, the only difference being thatjust described, namely, that the reverse numbering begins (and ends) one space farther toward the left, for a reason to be hereinafter explained.

I will now describe the use of my device. This check is supposed to be No. 25, bound if preferred, with others, all consecutively numbered, in a book in the custody of the engineer in charge of engine numbered say 1028. Let us suppose that this engineer, while on his trip, finds he is short of coal, so, when he reaches the first coaling station on his run (say South Union he fills up this check (having previously used the preceding twenty-four checks) by Writing, in the space B, the date, (say August 9,) adds the number of buckets of coal he needs, (say six,) writes in the name of this coaling station South Union and signs his name (say John Smith). He writes all the same data on the stub A, at the left of Fig. 1 (for his own record, as he keeps the stubs) and in the space C, on the reverse side of the check. Shown in Fig. 2. He then folds and tears (in this instance) the right hand end of the check, along the line of the perforated or indented row b which is marked -sc in Fig. l, and this leaves loose in his hand the detached right hand end of this check 25, which piece has (on its face or obverse) the just described written record, in the space B, and at its left edge the highest numbered bucket coupon, numbered 6, corresponding to the said written record. This detached portion of the check he hands to thetipple-man or chuteman at the coaling station, as his order, and gets the six buckets of coal called for. The tipple-man sends this portion of the check (with all other similar tallies) at stated intervals, to the fuel accountant in accordance ,with the direction or address on the reverse side of this portion. The engineer retains the balance of this cheek 25 until he finishes his run, and then folds and tears the middle portion off the stub, at the line d, and deposits it, together with his tiu1e-checl ,with the roundhouse foreman, who forwards the same to the Supt motive power, as per the direction or address on said middle detached portion. This forms an absolute check, in auditing the fuel. account, for the reason that the highest numbered bucket coupon on the fuel accountants portion, must agree with the Written number of buckets in space I3, and also must be identical with lowest numbered coupon of the superintendents portion, and also agree with the written number of buckets on his portion, and any attempt at any alteration would necessarily be detected, When the two portions of this check 25 Were brought together for the final auditing.

While I have illustrated but a single use of my invention, it is obvious that exactly the' same device, by a mere change of inscriptions, would serve as a similar checkin an infinite number of various kinds of business, without departing from the spirit of my invention, but whatever the particular inscriptions, or nature of the business to be kept account of and tallied may be, in any particular case, it is absolutely essential that my tally-check should comprise a iexible sheet, provided with suitable inscriptions and spaces for tallying on both sides thereof, and that it should have a series of separable coupons, consecutively numbered and similarly inscribed on both sides of said strip, and that the number on each of the intermediate coupons on one side of said strip should be one number higher than the number upon the other side of that coupon, and consequently,

, that the lowest numbered coupon on one side of said strip, and the highest numbered coupon on the other side thereof should be numbered on those respective sides only.

It will be noticed that on Whatever' partially perforated line my device may be separated, when it has been so separated and detached from its stub, there remain in hand two cards, each self addressed to proper offlcers of the railroad, and ready for immediate mailing or transportation, Without change or cover, to the proper destination, and this constitutes a very useful feature of my device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A tally-check comprising a'exible strip provided with suitable inscriptions and spaces for tallying on both sides thereof, and having a series ot' separable coupons consecutively numbered and similarly inscribed on -both sides of said strip, the number on each of the intermediate coupons ou one side of said strip being one number higher than the number on the other side of said coupon, and the lowest numbered coupon on one side of the strip and the highest numbered coupon on the other side thereof being numbered ou those respective sides only and said strip having imperforate portions at each end thereof lOO IIO

next to said separable coupons, self addressed upon opposite sides of said strip for mailing or transportation after separation, said coupons being partially separated by rows of perforatio'nsor indentations extending only part way across said strip, and leavinga continuons integral edge or border around all the detachable coupons, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

y WILLIAM M. PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

H. G. UNDEaWooD, HENRY DANKERT. 

